Counter sirup dispenser and valve



June ,22, 1954 1 J, BOOTH 2,681,750

COUNTER SIRUP DISPENSER AND VALVE I Filed DSC. l1, 19E-) JA cfrl J. BooTH JNVENTOR.

j 3g A TTRNE Y 'ing syrups Vwhich includes Patented June 22, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUNTER SIRUP DISPENSER AND VALVE Jack J. Booth, Dallas, .'lex.

Application December 11, 1950,`.Seria`l `No.`2.00,195

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to 'fluid measuring and dispensing apparatus and more particularly to such `apparatus designed to measure and dispense jilavoring syrups 'used with carbonated water 'as beverages.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a measuring or metering valve for flavorin its assembly a collapsible boot of neoprene or equivalent material which has a predetermined capacity, thus to measure a quantity of syrup drawn thereinto by the expanding action of a spring and which syrup is expelled from the boot into a waiting container under pressure of a plunger which collapses the boot.

Another object of the invention resides in the novel assembly of the valve head, boot housing, plunger and the boot which latter, when expanded, is adequately Yreinforced by the walls of its'housing and is equipped with means cooperating with the boot and housing to positively seal the assembly against leakage. Moreover, certain reinforcing embedded in the boot insures a measure of rigidity in the head of the boot to `holdits walls in flush engagement with the inner Asurfaces of the housing under `tension of the eX- panding spring so that full measure of fluid will be drawn intothe boot each time it is expanded.

Still another `object of the invention is to provide a vessel in separate sections adapted to enclose `a syrup container, usually 'a jug, which :is inverted in the lower section of the vessel, to :whichlatter is connected themeasuringand dispensing `valve of the invention. The mouth of the jug is supported by an embossed rib in the bottom of the lower vessel section to permit the contents of the jug to flow into the said lower section until its level Irises to seal the mouth of the jug. A pick-up tube extends from .the dispensing valve to a point in the vessel below the embossed rib to transfer syrup to the valve.

Other objects will appear as Vthe description proceeds, taken in connection with the accom- .panying drawing, wherein:

Figure `1 is a side elevational 'View of a sectional `vessel with a portion broken away and showing the measuring and dispensing valve connected thereto.

.Figure 2 isa longitudinal sectional view of the :valve per se.

lFigure 3 is a transverse sectional view'taken on line 3-3 ofFgurefZ, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Figuref2.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral I9 denotes the lower section'of -a `capsule type vessel, on which is disposed the upper section Il. The lower section I has an annular bead i2 about its upper endwhich serves as a stop for the expanded end 1130i the upper section I l which frictiorlally engages the upper end or" the lower section, thus sealing out Vall foreign matter to keep the contents of the vessel ina sanitary condition.

The'bottom of the lower vessel section Il! has a circular-depression 14 which elevates the central-portion of the bottom and denes an annular `trough |5 into `which depends the pick-up tube IES Vof the measuring and dispensing valve `which will be described presently. The elevated central portion l5 of the vessel bottom is em- "bossed to `provide a rib il on which is adapted to rest the mouth of a jug i8 which is inverted in `the lower section ill. The `rib Il is of greater length than width so that iluid will'iiow from the mouth of the jug on each side of `the rib until the level of the liquid rises to close the `mouth of the jug. This level is, oi course, maintained 'until the jug is emptied.

The vessel, constructed in the manner shown, is usually `provided with a suitable clamp (not shown) :by which it is secured to a counter or tabletop for the Vconvenient 'drawing of ilavor ing syrupwith which is mixed carbonated water and ice to produce a beverage. To accomplish this, 'a valve generally indicated by reference numeral I9, is attachedto the pick-up tube I6 which latter emerges from the lower section l0 iofthevessel and extends to a point near the top i "thereof, the portion of the tube intermediate its endsbeing secured, as by soldering or welding, to the side of the section IU.

rhevalve I3 consists of a head 2i) which has a recess in one end provided with internal threads engaging the external threads of a cylindrical housing 2i. Both ends of the housing are open, the outer endbeing provided with an annular internal flange 22 under which is the external flange 23 of a plunger `2:1 and limits outward displacement of the plunger. The inner end of the cylinder 2l is exteriorly chamfered at .a (Fig. 2) to be received in an annular channel formed in an external flange 25 provided on .theropen end of a boot 2E, made of neoprene, `due to the latters invulnerability to attack by various chemicals in fluids and since it does not alter the taste of the fluid as does natural rubber.

VTheanchorage .afforded by .the chamfered end of the cylinder 2|, which constitutes the boot housing, and the flange of the boot, there is no leakage of suction or liquid at the juncture between the boot, boot housing and Valve head 20. The outer end of the boot is closed and is reinforced by a fabric disc 21 embedded therein. Reinforcing of the boot end prevents folding in of its walls and holds the Walls at all times flush against the inner surfaces of the housing 2i. This insures against short measure Vof flavoring syrup since the capacity of the boot, in the present case, is one ounce, the quantity prescribed by syrup manufacturers for six ounce drink.

The inner face of the end of the boot 26 has a circular embossed area 28 which retains in position one end of a coil spring 29, the opposite end of the spring lying in an annular groove a in the inner face of the Valve head 20 and surrounding a circular boss 3c formed on the head. Thus, the spring 23 is collapsed in the groove a and does not pinch the side Walls of the boot 26 and Fluid enters the boot 26 through the pick-up tube IES whose upper' end 3l is threaded for reception by a threaded axial bore in the head 23, the bore continuing, in reduced diameter, into the chamber occupied by the boot 26. The end of the tube I6 has a conical recess 32 which contains a ball valve 33, the small end of the recess providing a seat for the ball to prevent return of fluid through the tube i6 when the plunger 24 is depressed to expel uid from the boot. It will be observed in Figure 4 that the end of the bore 32 Where it emerges into the boot housing has formed therein diametrically opposed protuberances b which limit forward displacement of the ball 33 but do not interfere with free passage of iluid into the boot.

Below the inlet bore 32 is a iiuid outlet passage 315, in control of which is a ball valve under pressure of a coil spring 33 which urges the ball upwardly against its seat 3l. The ball 35 and its spring are arranged in' a tubulatr spout 38 which is threaded at its upper end into a threaded opening in the valve head 23, against the rubber valve seat 3l to hold the latter in place. The outer surface of the spout 38 is knurled at 39 to facilitate its installation and removal.

The lower section l@ of the vessel is secured to a table top or counter and the jug of syrup is inverted therein as described. The top section Il is placed on the lower section and the plunger 24 of valve i9 is reciprocated until the suction lls the pick-up tube iii and the boot 26. The plunger 24 is pushed inwardly to collapse the boot, thus forcing the syrup therein past the valve 35 and through the spout 38 into a cup or glass held thereunder' which is then filled with carbonated water or other described mix. When the plunger 2li is retracted by the spring 29, the boot 26 Will resume its expanded position and the suction created therein and within the pick-up tube I6 will rell the boot preparatory to another dispensing operation.

manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A iuid measuring and dispensing apparatus comprising a vessel in separable, longitudinally aligned sections, one of said sections having a bottom provided with a centrally elevated portion defining an annular trough, a rib embossed in said elevated portion, a fluid container inverted in said vessel and supported on said rib to release fluid into said trough, a fluid pick-up tube entering the side of said vessel whose lower end is disposed in said trough, a dispensing valve having a head threadedly attached to the upper end of said pick-up tube, a ball valve in said pickup tube, a cylindrical housing attached to said valve head, a iluid quantity measuring boot of resilient material anchored at the juncture of said head and housing and disposed in said housing, a plunger for collapsing said boot in said housing, a spring for expanding said boot effective to create suction in said pick-up tube to displace said ball valve and to ll said boot with fluid, and valve controlled means for releasing fluid from said boot upon actuation of said plunger, said housing and said plunger limiting the degree of expansion of said boot and said head limiting the degree of collapse or" said boot whereby a predetermined amount of liquid may be disposed upon each reciprocation of said plunger.

2. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, an inverted liquid container, a liquid pick-up tube depending into said container and terminating exteriorly of said container midway of the ends of the latter, a dispensing valve comprising a tubular housing, a head attached to the outer end of said pick-up tube and threadedly connected to said housing, a collapsible exible boot oi substantially cup shape having an open end and a closed end, said open end being anchored at the threaded connection between said head and housing, means slidable in said tubular housing and contacting the closed end ci said boot for collapsing said boot, said housing and said slidable means contacting the outer surfaces of said boot to limit its expansion-means for expanding said boot, valve means in said pick-up tube displaceable'by suction created in the latter by the expanding action of said boot eifective to fill said boot with liquid and valve controlled means for releasing liquid from said boot under pressure imposed by said boot collapsing means.

3. A fluid measuring and dispensing apparatus comprising a vessel in separable, longitudinally aligned sections, one of said sections having'a bottom provided with a centrally elevated portion dening an annular trough, a rib em- -bossed in said elevated portion, a iiuid container inverted in said vessel and supported on said rib to release fluid into said trough, a fluid pickup tube entering the side of said vessel whose lower end is disposed in said trough, and a manually operable pump means connected to the upper end of said pick-up tube for dispensing liquid from said vessel in predetermined quantities.

4. A iiuid measuring and dispensing apparatus comprising a vessel having a bottom provided with a centrally elevated portion defining an annular trough, a rib embossed in said elevated portion, a fluid container inverted in said vessel and supported on said rib to release iiuid into said trough, a fluid pick-up tube entering the side of said vessel whose lower end is disposed in said trough, and a manually operable pump means connected to the upper end of said pick-up tube for dispensing liquid from said vessel in predetermined quantities.

(References on following page) Number Name Date Schmidt Feb. 11, 1908 Rose June 16, 1925 Albricht July 9, 1929 Serre May 25, 1937 Root et al Jan. 11, 1938 Maloney Mar. 3, 1942 10 Number Number Name Date Wilson Mar. 23, 1943 Coppng et al Apr. 27, 1948 Harr Jan. 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France July 9, 1934 (Addition to No. 746,400)

Germany Nov. 19, 1923 

